Hello! This being my very first trail journal entry and blog post of any kind, I should explain a few things and introduce myself. First, it is with some hesitation that I put myself out on the internet like this. Many of the wonderful people that I know and love (or at least like very much), who have been very supportive of my decision to hike this year, may learn things about me they previously have not known. But, since I'm not putting a link out to this journal on my facebook page or sending it out on any mailing lists, for now, I'll blog along like no one is reading. If I actually put more than one entry on here it'll be a miracle.

Second, I have feet that are less-than-ideal for hiking. I say this as a warning, that this blog could end up being entirely about my feet. At the tender age of eight, my lovely little feet decided to grow into bunions. Big, ugly, juvenile bunions. Now at twenty-eight I have made peace with the fact that my feet are not normal, will never be normal, and, while aggravating, ugly, and sometimes painful, my feet still get me to where I want to go.

Now for a bit of background info. I live in a college town in the Willamette Valley, in Oregon. One year ago I graduated with a bachelors degree, looked deep inside myself, and realized all I really wanted to do was hike. I'd been on several backpacking trips with my friend in the past three years and each time it was the best experience of my life. I wanted to keep going and never stop, even when my feet were hurting so bad I couldn't walk without lots of ibuprofen and a big stick to help me limp along. So I came up with this plan. And while the PCT is grand and exciting, and getting to Canada would be amazing, for me it is simply the perfect excuse to go hike for five straight months.

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a 2,650-mile national scenic trail that runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington. The PCT traverses 24 national forests, 37 wilderness areas and 7 national parks. The PCT passes through 6 out of 7 of North Americas ecozones. Learn more: www.pcta.org